Teacher jailed over child porn

Pearson admitted making indecent images of children

A former deputy head teacher has been jailed for his involvement in an internet paedophile ring.

Robert Pearson, 50, the former deputy head teacher at Campion High School in Everton, Merseyside, admitted making indecent images of children and indecent assault on a seven-year-old girl.

He was arrested following an investigation by officers from the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU).

Pearson, who left his job in January, was found to be a member of an internet paedophile ring called Insurance.

The group engaged in the sexual abuse of children, live abuse on the internet and the making and distribution of thousands of pornographic photographs and films.

We are delighted with the sentences handed out to these men

Detective Superintendent Mick Deats

Pearson pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court to 22 counts of making indecent images of children, one count of conspiracy to distribute indecent images and three counts of indecent assault against a seven-year-old girl.

He was jailed for five years and nine months and was banned from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Another man, 27-year-old IT engineer Simon Chan, was jailed for five-and-a-half years for his involvement in the paedophile ring.

Chan, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute indecent images and 20 counts of making indecent images.

He was also disqualified from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Pearson was arrested at his home in Blundellsands, Liverpool, in August last year following an investigation into the paedophile ring, called Operation Informal.

'Complicated operation'

The officers had been working to track down the administrators of the secure areas on the Internet used by members of Insurance and another group called Holiday PartyTime, of which Pearson was also a member.

A computer in the United States was forensically examined by officers from the NHTCU and led to the arrests of the two men.

Chan's computer media alone contained more than 100 gigabytes of material - equal to 28,000 images and 3,000 videos, while Pearson's computers contained 60,000 images and 5,000 videos.

Detective Superintendent Mick Deats, deputy head of the NHTCU said: "We are delighted with the sentences handed out to these men.

"This was a lengthy and complicated operation which drew on all the specialist skills of our officers.

"Most importantly, a child who was identified as a result of this operation is no longer at risk."

Sandie Hebblethwaite, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS in Surrey, said the images distributed by the two men were "truly abhorrent".